On Sat Jul 24, 2010 the Resident’s Association of our neighbourhood organised a gathering at the open space next to the Playground.

Previously there were ‘carnivals’ at two different locations around the vicinity of the Clubhouse. This time it was of a smaller scale termed as a ‘street party’. Kudos to the organisers as they did a good job at it.

The idea was to try and get residents to get to know one another on a more informal basis. When we do meet at the Club we tended to either be among those that we know or just together with our family members. A street party managed to break that barrier that allowed us the luxury of mixing around among the crowd.

The idea may appear simple enough but the initiative to initiate one is rarely given priority. The availability of club facilities tended to fill that void so much so that it would seem foreign or inconvenient to organize one. Coupled with modern living, where one tends to keep to oneself, a cool response is always dreaded.

The one organized last Sat had the ingredients of success worked out before hand that left everyone happy. There was food galore and good food prepared. By early evening we could see 5 marinated lambs ready for roasting. The aroma was so overpowering that it had already permeated the air enticing us even before we arrived.

There were no formalities, no speeches. Even though there was a stage erected, the committee members were not seated there but were mingling with the crowd. The MC welcomed us and invited the kids on stage. There was impromptu merry-making on stage with the parents snapping away.

After some pleasantries, we were then invited to sample the food. The array of food available catered for all tastes. The crowd was manageable being a gated community. There were around 500, maybe more. It was a mixed crowd. It comprised young couples with young kids in tow or pushed in prams from the town house, and also elder folks those with older kids and teenagers and grown up kids from the link house, semi-d and bungalows around the vicinity. We were there which otherwise we may not have the opportunity of mixing around freely together.

The Organising Chairman later took the mike from the MC and said a few words off the cuff. The crowd clapped and cheered at the end of it and continued with their food and seeing to the new-found neighbours at the next table. This was one open gathering that the MC had to coax those present to get to the food which was aplenty ( a few were also requested to bring home some to avoid wastage)

It was refreshing, the weather was kind, we met new faces, food was more than enough and everyone enjoyed themselves.